The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-05
PERIL OF THE REPUBLIC.
A NOTEWORTHY SPEECH BY HON
JOHN D. LONG.

The First Century of the Nation One OF
and Scientific Progress the Charac-
teristic of To-Day Duty Calls the
Leading Glasses Into Politics.
WOODSTOCK, July 4.-There was the
usual amount of speech making at Rose
land Park at this place to-day. Mr.. Bowen
had gathered his orators together and there
was a big talk. The most noteworthy
speech, probably, was that of Hon. John D.
Long, of Massachusetts. In the course Of
his remarks Mr.. Long said
danger and peril enough indeedl Neeo
everywhere for safeguards and forethoughti
But the world is failure and man is lie il
there be not in him the capacity to rise to
his own might and TO keep pace with his own
growth. Are education, science, is this God.
like mind, are the soul and the moral nature
to count for nothing but their own disastert
Is there no future manhood to meet the fuIs
ture crisis! Is there no Coda AS the dead
past buries its dead, so the unborn future
will solve its own needs. Ours it is to do
the duty of the present hour.
THE FIRST CENTURY.
"And to that high duty with what a
trumpet-call are we summoned! The first
century was century of military and
political growth. This is a century Of
moral and scientific growth. At its outset
should be also our Declaration of Independ-
ence-independence from ignorance and
prejudice and false restraint; from the
that we may have the beneficence
of peace; from the clumsiness
of any lingering superstition, so that we
may have the full freedom of a Christian
civilization; from the crimes that infest and
retard society; from false gods and intem-
perance and the tyranny of the grog shop,
from low views Of public trust. No declarae
ton of the fathers could surpass declara.
ton of the high moral purposes that beckou
us TO loftier national fife. The field is un,
limited; the opportunity for growth inex
haustible.
DUTY OF THE LEADERS
"Only let us realize the absolute duty Of
impressng on the leading classes as we call
them, on the educated and religious classes,
the necessity of their projecting themselves
out of the ranks which need no physician.
into the ranks which do. / do not mean
the nonsense of class distinctions. mean
that whoever is a foremost man in any
sphere, whoever leads in politics, in
feel that on his shoulders alone rests
the public safety. There must be
the sense of personal obligation on every
man. Virtue, public and private. will be-
come easy and popular when it is the badge
and inspiration of the leaders Good influ.
ence from the top will permeate through the
whole body polite, as rain filters through
the earth and freshens it with verdure and
beauty and fertility. | would emphasize
the duty of the enlightened classes to throw
all their energies into the popular arena.
co TO THE POLLS.
"Why should the ingenious youth, fresh
from college, dream of Pericles, swaying
with consummate address and eloquence,
the petty democracy of Athens, and him,
self shun the town house, where in
golden age beside which the age of Pericles
is brass, Is nodded the destiny of his own
magnificent republicl Why kindle with
the invective of Cicero or the wit of Aris.
tophanes, and himself be too dainty to
lift voice OF finger TO Danish Catiline and
Cleon-a New York Alderman or Boston
boss-from manipulating the honor, the
integrity, the achievement of the city be-
queathed to him in sacred trust by his own
heroic ancestorsl
THE SCHOLARS NOT ALL FAILURES.
Little sympathy is to be felt with the
spirit that stands aloof and rails at the
clumsy work of government by the peo-
pie, who, on their part, invariably welcome
the approach of man of culture, and viii
give him place if only he will not convey
the idea that he despises it. 1t is useless to
deny that the scholars have failed oftens
times-less Of late-to improve the opportu.
nifty; and if ever therepublic goes to the bad,
it will not be because the illiterate have seized
and depraved it, but because the instructed
and trained have neglected it.
AN IMPORTANT EPOCH
"Here we are at the threshold of these
great economic questions of labor, of capf.
tai, of currency. They affect the very
tables and hearthstones and muscles of IN
all. We have yet TO solve the question SH
so distributing the excess of the grain of the
world that no man shall be unable to ex-
change his labor for his share of it;
of so distributing the excess of wealth that
no man shah be destitute who is willing
to work There lies before us a field grand
as that which lay before our fathers It
should make glad the heart Of every true
man who foresees the 6melioration of the
masses. It is Gods earth, and he made ID
for his children. There can be no failure Of
the republic among an intelligent people,
with schools for the young, with good ex-
amples in the past, with Christian ideals for
the future.
LET Us HAVE PEACE.
''It has already surInounted it's most stu
pendous risks and assaults. The late civil
war only cements it. On the battle-fields Of
Virginia so swift is times erasure, where,
twenty years ago, the land was rough with
the entrenchments OF the camp, now the
woods have grown, and the foliage and the
turf and the fruitful farms bear no mark
of war but wave with lines of
beauty and Of harvest. SO, too, in the
nation at laree. The war is over. The great
angels of peace and union are going from
door TO door, and weaving together this day
the ancient memories of Independence with